by Mel Stride, Conservative MP

for Central Devon

Energy

I made a fascinating visit to Okehampton College recently. The school has won the Zayed Future Energy Prize for its innovative approach to energy conservation and with it a cheque for $100,000.

Keith Webber and his colleagues have transformed the way the school consumes electricity, gas and water and have massively reduced the school's energy bill over the last few years.

The key to this achievement has been the close monitoring of the way in which energy is consumed within the school. Electricity is monitored on a room by room basis via sensors connected to the electricity switchboards with the information available in real time via the internet. A click of a mouse and a vast array of data pops up.

Current consumption can easily be compared with historic data so promptly identifying unexpected spikes in demand.

The same is the case with water usage — Keith gave me the example of a tap which had been inadvertently left on and a large amount of water saved as this was quickly spotted.

The work carried out at Okehampton College should be an inspiration to us all to look at our own energy consumption. Saving energy not only helps the planet but saves money and the Government has recently launched an important energy conservative scheme called the Green Deal, whereby the cost of energy saving measures carried out in the home can be repaid through the savings made on future energy bills.

Improvements can include insulation, double-glazing and boiler replacements. The whole process starts with an assessment and the work is then carried out by a Green Deal provider.

You might not achieve the kind of savings generated by Okey College but as the cost of living continues to increase this is definitely a scheme worth looking into. Details at https://www.gov.uk">https://www.gov.uk